Rep. Linden Bateman

Idaho State Representative
District 33, Seat B

TO THE VOTERS OF DISTRICT 33

On a crisp February morning some years ago, I was hurriedly walking down Capitol Blvd on my way to begin a day’s activity in the House of Representatives, when to my amazement a beautiful American bald eagle soared above me out of the fog as I crossed the Boise River. Surprised to see such a glorious sight in the center of downtown Boise, I was later informed by a wildlife officer that eagles sometimes winter along the Boise River. We both agreed that only in Idaho could one expect to see a bald eagle flying within view of the state capitol building.

How fortunate we are to live in Idaho. Its resources are boundless. Within a 150-mile radius of Idaho Falls, we find the greatest and most important watershed in America. The Snake River Plain constitutes the largest unbroken expanse of irrigated farmland in the U.S. Our electrical power rates have consistently been the lowest in the nation. No state has a more diverse landscape or such a unique small town atmosphere. Our people possess the practical attitudes and sense of morality that characterized those men and women who cleared the sagebrush, leveled the land, and built the towns barely more than a generation ago.

My roots run deep in Idaho. Early family members arrived near Franklin within a few years after President Abraham Lincoln created Idaho Territory in 1863. My maternal grandfather used huge teams of draft horses to clear and level a homestead near Carey. I love Idaho. My gratitude for the accomplishments of our pioneers and a desire in some small way to improve upon their achievements compels me to seek public office. I would appreciate your vote.

Respectfully,

Rep. Linden B. Bateman

Linden & Deann Bateman with "Scottie"

THOUGHTS ON TAXES

Unlike the federal government, the Idaho Constitution prohibits deficit spending. It has been said that last year's entire state appropriation would fund the federal government for only about 30 seconds!

Idaho’s use of income, property and sales taxes “the three-legged stool” has been recognized as among the best balanced in the county. Even so, we should continually seek improvements in the structure and seek the most efficient use of each tax dollar. Ideally, the property tax should be used only for property related services. The grocery tax credit should continue to increase as the sales tax on food is especially burdensome for low-income families. Internet purchases now being made without a sales tax put local Idaho businesses at a disadvantage.

Linden Bateman will give careful consideration to all meaningful proposals for tax reform, including a review of the present tax exemptions, particularly if eliminating some tax breaks would reduce the sales tax rate. We must not remove exemptions which encourage economic growth and job creation. Idaho business needs a stable and predictable tax code which lowers the cost of equipment and investment.

During the 2012 legislative session, Rep. Bateman co-sponsored House Bill 563, designed to stimulate business activity, and which provided for a $35 million reduction in personal and corporate income taxes.

During these difficult times, it is prudent that we seek the most efficient use of each tax dollar and curtail state spending.

THOUGHTS ON EDUCATION

We need to find good teachers and let them teach without bureaucratic fuss. There is too much federal involvement in education. No Child Left Behind has thrown our system off balance by ignoring such subjects as history, government, and the arts, all of which are important for the stability of a great nation. Too much testing weakens student creativity.

* Rep. Bateman believes that education improvement and funding will be among the top priorities scheduled for the next legislative session. He believes that schools can more effectively guide students into successful careers through the development of each child's natural talents and productive interests.

* At least part of a teacher’s salary should be based on evaluated performance.

* Rep. Bateman believes in the wise implementation of exciting new technologies in the classroom but recognizes that effective teachers will always be the most important factor in a child's formal education. Nothing will ever replace the warmth of human relationships.

* Recognizing that there is a wide range in the quality of online courses, Rep. Bateman sponsored legislation in the House which will provide a star rating system to evaluate courses so that students and parents will have some guidance in choosing classes.

* Rep. Bateman supported major increases in education funding during the past legislative session and will continue to endorse major increases for the future.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

In an effort to reduce the misuse of prescription drugs, Rep. Bateman recently co-sponsored legislation to require prescribers of controlled substances to register with Idaho Controlled Substances Prescription Database. He also helped to secure the establishment of a Behavioral Health Center for Idaho Falls.

Rep. Bateman served on the legislative judicial reinvestment committee which helped formulate legislation to reduce Idaho's incarceration and recidivism rates. It is hoped that $33 million in prison costs can be redirected into mental health and substance abuse programs.

CONSERVATION

With its wide open spaces and small town environment, Idaho is a great place to live, work and raise a family. We must conserve our natural resources and manage our public lands for the benefit of all our citizens and for future generations. Idaho must never become like some places in Europe where access to open spaces is limited and where only the rich can hunt and fish.

While serving in the legislature, Linden Bateman sponsored important legislation which provided for the protection and enhancement of wildlife populations in Idaho.

STATES RIGHTS

Even a casual reading of the U.S. Constitution will reveal that the federal government has assumed powers which rightfully belong to the states. Article 1, Section 8 limits federal authority mainly to areas relating to national defense, foreign affairs and the regulation and promotion of trade and commerce. The 10th Amendment provides that powers not delegated to the national government are left to the states. By stretching or twisting a few general phrases in the Constitution, the federal government has expanded its powers in such areas as public education, agriculture, healthcare, welfare, the legalization of abortion, etc.

VALUES

We live in troubled, uncertain times. Our morals and our family values are disintegrating. Our Consitution, our factories, our dollar and our borders are disintegrating. Our bloated and often intrusive federal government now borrows 42 cents of every dollar it spends. Coarseness, vulgarity and casualness have invaded our culture as never before, often condoned and even nourished by our political and judicial leaders. Nevertheless, there is still much goodness and much greatness in the American character. We are a resilient, resourceful and inventive people and can overcome the cultural and ecomonic crises, but to do so will require a rebirth of traditional values and the election of creative leaders who reflect those values.

Rep. Bateman recently sponsored legislation which established an official IDAHO DAY to be observed every year on March 4 to recognize the creation of Idaho by President Abraham Lincoln on that day in 1863. It will be a day to educate about Idaho, her culture, her history, her diversity, her beauty, her resources, and her greatness.